Frances Marcus Lewis1. 1. School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. fmlewis@u.washington.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE/ OBJECTIVES: To analyze five common assumptions about a family's adjustment to breast cancer and to suggest needed future directions for family-focused research. DATA SOURCES: Published research in nursing, psychiatry, behavioral medicine, and psycho-oncology about families' functioning with breast cancer. DATA SYNTHESIS: Evidence from published research is that family members do not modify their coping behavior in response to illness-related pressures, do not appear to learn over time how to manage illness-related concerns, are not responsive to each other's thoughts and feelings about cancer, experience tension in the marriage from cancer, and neither understand nor assist children affected by a mother's breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Current assumptions about how families function with breast cancer need to be replaced with a more informed, data-based view that guides the development of better programs and services for assisting families. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Future research and interventions need to address the impact of breast cancer on the primary relationships in a household, the impact of the illness on the family's core functions, and the family members' competencies to manage the illness.
PURPOSE/ OBJECTIVES: To analyze five common assumptions about a family's adjustment to breast cancer and to suggest needed future directions for family-focused research. DATA SOURCES: Published research in nursing, psychiatry, behavioral medicine, and psycho-oncology about families' functioning with breast cancer. DATA SYNTHESIS: Evidence from published research is that family members do not modify their coping behavior in response to illness-related pressures, do not appear to learn over time how to manage illness-related concerns, are not responsive to each other's thoughts and feelings about cancer, experience tension in the marriage from cancer, and neither understand nor assist children affected by a mother's breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Current assumptions about how families function with breast cancer need to be replaced with a more informed, data-based view that guides the development of better programs and services for assisting families. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Future research and interventions need to address the impact of breast cancer on the primary relationships in a household, the impact of the illness on the family's core functions, and the family members' competencies to manage the illness.
Authors: M Watson; I St James-Roberts; S Ashley; C Tilney; B Brougham; L Edwards; C Baldus; G Romer Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2006-01-16 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Frances Marcus Lewis; Kristin A Griffith; Kuan-Ching Wu; Mary Ellen Shands; Ellen H Zahlis Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2021-08-13 Impact factor: 3.603